The present invention relates to an absorbent device that is worn interlabially for catamenial purposes, incontinence protection, or both, More particularly, the present invention relates to an interlabial device that is pre-moistened or pre-treated with an emollient for improved comfort.
All manner and variety of absorbent articles configured for the absorption of body fluids such as menses, urine and feces are, of course, well known. With respect to feminine protection devices, the art has offered two basic types) sanitary napkins have been developed for external wear about the pudendal region while tampons have been developed for internal wear within the vaginal cavity for interruption of menstrual flow therefrom. Such tampon devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,833, entitled xe2x80x9cTampon Applicatorxe2x80x9d, issued to Weigner, et al. on Nov. 1, 1983, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,986, entitled xe2x80x9cTampon Assembly With Means For Sterile Insertionxe2x80x9d, issued to Jacobs on Nov. 8, 1983.
Hybrid devices which attempt to merge the structural features of the sanitary napkins and the tampons into a single device have also been proposed. Such hybrid devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,092,346, entitled xe2x80x9cCatamenial Padxe2x80x9d, issued to Arone on Sep. 7, 1937, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,372, entitled xe2x80x9cFeminine Hygiene Protective Shieldxe2x80x9d, issued to Denkinger on Sep. 16, 1975. Other less intrusive hybrid devices are known as labial or interlabial sanitary napkins and are characterized by having a portion which at least partially resides within the wearer""s vestibule and a portion which at least partially resides external of the wearer""s vestibule. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,662,527, entitled xe2x80x9cSanitary Padxe2x80x9d, issued to Jacks on Dec. 15, 1953, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,062, entitled xe2x80x9cLabial Sanitary Padxe2x80x9d, issued to Lassen, et al. on Dec. 23, 1986.
Interlabial pads have the potential to provide even greater freedom from inconvenience because of their small size and reduced risk of leakage. Numerous attempts have been made in the past to produce an interlabial pad which would combine the best features of tampons and sanitary napkins while avoiding at least some of the disadvantages associated with each of these types of devices. Examples of such devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,917,049 issued to Delaney on Dec. 15, 1959, U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,235 issued to Harmon on Jan. 7, 1969, U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,392 issued to Johnson, et al. on Jun. 17, 1986, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,429 issued to Vukos, et al. on Jan. 16, 1996. A commercially available interlabial device is FRESH ""N FIT(copyright) PADETTE interlabial product which is marketed by Athena Medical Corp. of Portland, OR and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,873 and 4,175,561 issued to Hirschman on Oct. 5, 1976 and Nov. 27, 1979, respectively.
However, many of these devices have not met with great commercial success. There are drawbacks associated with all of the above products. The devices described in these patents are believed to potentially be uncomfortable to wear due to frictional discomfort associated with rubbing of the product against the labial walls and sticking of the surfaces of the device to the labial walls. Furthermore, the frictional drag and sticking of the body-contacting surface of such devices against the labia can prevent these devices from being properly inserted, leading to discomfort.
The problem of drying of a female wearer""s labial vestibule area has been discussed in the patent literature. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,824 issued to Lassen, et al. on Jul. 11, 1989, is directed to a labial sanitary pad that has a xe2x80x9cphysiologically hydrousxe2x80x9d cover (that is, a cover material supposedly designed to xe2x80x9cmaintain a moist interface between the tissues of the vestibule and the padxe2x80x9d). Types of cover materials specified in the Lassen, et al. patent include a spunlaced polyester fiber nonwoven and a rayon cover. The Lassen, et al. patent states that the covers can be provided with various xe2x80x9ccoatingsxe2x80x9d to maintain the physiologically hydrous feature, but no specific coatings appear to be disclosed.
European Patent Application EP 0 692 263 A2, xe2x80x9cMethod of reducing the coefficient of friction of absorbent products and wax coated products produced therebyxe2x80x9d, is directed to lubricated absorbent products having a coating of a small amount of high molecular weight solid waxy substance which has a softening point above body temperature. However, there are drawbacks associated with the use of high molecular weight materials for this purpose. High molecular weight materials will not be as soothing or lotion-like to the wearer""s skin as lower molecular weight materials. In addition, high molecular weight materials will not be capable of transferring to the wearer""s skin to provide skin care benefits. High molecular weight waxes can also become brittle and tend to flake or chip off an absorbent article due to their lack of flexibility if the absorbent article is of a type that is required to flex and bend. Further, if the softening point of such materials is higher than room temperature, application of such materials to an absorbent article will be more difficult, and will require that the material be heated in order to coat an absorbent article with such a material.
A vaginal moisture balanced tampon and process is disclosed in European Patent Application 0 685 215 A1. However, the interlabial device of the present invention is not intended to be worn inter-vaginally as a tampon.
Thus, a need exists for an interlabial device that is small in size and that can be easily inserted and that provides protection against incontinence, menstrual discharges, and discharges of bodily exudates throughout a great range of wearer motions. A need exists for an interlabial device which is absorbent, has a reduction in frictional discomfort associated with rubbing of the product against the labial walls and sticking of the surfaces of the device to the labial walls. A need also exists for an interlabial device that has a reduced tendency to dry the inside surface of the wearer""s labia.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an interlabial device that is small in size and that can be easily inserted and that provides protection against incontinence, menstrual discharges, and discharges of bodily exudates throughout a great range of wearer motions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an interlabial device which is absorbent, but has a reduction in frictional discomfort associated with rubbing of the product against the labial walls and sticking of the surfaces of the device to the labial walls.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an interlabial device that has a reduced tendency to dry the inside surface of the wearer""s labia.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an interlabial device that can be inserted into the space between the wearer""s labia with less friction so that it will more easily be fully inserted into the desired wearing position.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent when considered in reference to the following description and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
This invention relates to absorbent devices, and more particularly to an absorbent device that is insertable into the interlabial space of a female wearer for catamenial purposes, incontinence protection, or both. The interlabial device has a body-contacting surface (in particular, a surface contacting the labial vestibule) which is pre-treated with an emollient to prevent drying of the wearer""s labial tissue and to reduce friction of the structure against the wearer""s labial tissue.
The absorbent interlabial device of the present invention, in one preferred embodiment, comprises a main absorbent portion and a pair of flexible extensions joined to the main absorbent portion. The main absorbent portion preferably comprises an upper portion and a lower portion opposed to the lower portion. The upper portion faces toward the vestibule floor of the wearer during insertion of the absorbent device into the wearer""s interlabial space and during use. That is, the upper portion is positioned furthest inward into the space between the wearer""s labia thus leading the lower portion of the absorbent device during insertion. Upon insertion, the lower portion is less filly inserted into the wearer""s interlabial space than the upper portion and the lower portion faces away from the floor of the vestibule of the wearer. The flexible extensions preferably extend downwardly and outwardly from the upper portion of the main absorbent portion and are joined to the same. The flexible extensions are preferably capable of maintaining contact with inside surfaces of the wearer""s labia and covering a substantial portion of the same.
At least a portion of said body-contacting surface of the interlabial device comprises an effective amount of an emollient coating which is preferably semisolid or solid at ambient temperature, 68xc2x0 F. (or 20xc2x0 C.). The coating preferably comprises a substantially water-free emollient having a plastic or fluid consistency at 20xc2x0 C. and comprising a member selected from the group consisting of petroleum-based emollients, fatty acid ester emollients, alkyl ethoxylate emollients and/or polysiloxane emollients, and mixtures thereof In a preferred embodiment, the emollient contains about 5% or less water and comprises a petroleum based emollient selected from the group consisting of mineral oil, petrolatum, and mixtures thereof. In an alternate preferred embodiment, the emollient emollient contains about 5% or less water and comprises a polysiloxane emollient.
The emollient-treated interlabial device provides a reduction in frictional discomfort associated with rubbing of the product against the labial walls and sticking of the surfaces of the device to the labial walls. The emollient-treated interlabial device also has a reduced tendency to dry the inside surface of the wearer""s labia. The interlabial device, because of the presence of the emollient, can be inserted into the space between the wearer""s labia with less friction so that it will more easily be fully inserted into the desired wearing position.